Early Explorers

  • 1000

    Leif Erickson

    Leif Erickson
    Leif Erickson was blown off course by a storm. Erickson landed on the labrador peninsula in present day Canada Erickson was the first Europeans to reach north America. They tried to stay but the attacks by the Native Americans forced them to leave.
  • 1460

    Prince Henry the navigator

    Prince Henry the navigator
    Prince Henry the Navigator found a school for sailors. Prince Henry the Navigator studied navigation, map making,shipbuilding,and astronomy. Henry spent lots of money money on school and expeditions exploring the coast of Africa.
  • 1488

    Bartolomeu Dias

    Bartolomeu Dias
    Bartolomeu Dias sailed from Portugal southward made it ti the bottom of Africa. Discovering the southern tip of Africa and the Cape of Good Hope.
  • 1492

    Christopher Columbus

    Christopher Columbus
    Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. Columbus sailed for Spain and tried to reach Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic landed in the Americas but believed he had reached Asia even when he died in 1506. Before Columbus died he made 4 trips across the Atlantic.
  • 1497

    Vasco Da Gama

    Vasco Da Gama
    Vasco Da gama sailed all around Africa and all the way to India. Da Gama won the European race for a sea route to Asia.
  • 1497

    John Cabot

    John Cabot
    John Cabot was an Italian sailor sailing for the English searched for passage to the Pacific Ocean along the coast of Canada and New foundland. This became the basis of England's claim to North America.
  • 1513

    Juan Ponce de Leon

    Juan Ponce de Leon
    Juan Ponce de Leon explored present -day Floridia in 1513 looking for the fountain of youth. Juan found the colony's oldest settlement.
  • 1527

    Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca

    Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
    Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca accompained by Estevanico (a slave) and others, explored the North American Southwest looking for 7 cities of gold.
  • 1534

    Jacques cartier

    Jacques cartier
    Jacques cartier sailed down the Saint Lawerence river all the way to present day montreal claiming lands for France.
  • 1538

    Hernando de Soto

    Hernando de Soto
    Hernando de Soto explored Florida and North Carolina. he also discovered Mississippi river.
  • 1540

    Francisco Vasquez de Coronado

    Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
    Francisco Vasquez was an cont. In north American southwest looking for cities of gold, discovered the Grand canyon ( In AZ ).
  • Henry Hubson

    Henry Hubson
    Herny Hubson led the Dutch expeditions to present day New yoek in 1609.